MWC Egypt: Environment and Community Development Go Hand in Hand: Rehabilitating Roman Cisterns in Omayed Saturday 30 July 2005, by
Web Team

Within its efforts to integrate local communities’ needs into sustainable development plans, MedWetCoast has rehabilitated 12 ancient Roman cisterns and built a thousand-cubic-feet reservoir in Omayed, for water collection in the rainy season.

The initiative came upon locals’ requests, who were financially burdened by water purchase from the nearby city of Hammam. This initiative is part of the project’s continuous efforts at raising local communities’ standards economically, socially and health-wise, which in turn would be positively reflected upon the environment.

The initiative was undertaken in coordination with the Ministry of Water Resources, which significantly participated in the allocation, cleansing and preparation of the cisterns. Furthermore, a committee comprising experts and locals had chosen the cisterns to be rehabilitated, according to locals’ needs. Meanwhile locals continue to drink from the rain water, collected in the once neglected cisterns.